The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-09
THE NORTHWESTERN DROUGHT.
Seventy-Five Thousand Square Miles of Farm
ing Lands That Will Yield No Return.

CHICAGO. Aug. S.-A local paper, summing
up the many reports received by it of drought,
prairie fires, burned crops, ETC.. says this morn
ing: There is area of perhaps 10 900 square
miles in the Northwest where the dust lies
heavily upon the earth. The district is bound
cd by Madison the north, Bloomington
the south. Lake Michigan the east. and the
Mississippi river the west 1t is within the
limits Of these boundaries that vegetation has
lost its normal color aud the earth it's moist
ure Day after day the sun sends
its burning rays upon the parched
farms and fields. Leaves are falling
from the trees. the grass in the meadows has
grown yellow and white. and the streams IN
which the cattle used Stake their thirst are
as dry as powder horns. 1t has been nearly ten
weeks since soaking rain fell in this district
The big bull thistle-rhe pest of nearly every
farm-has at last succumbed to the fate of all
other vegetation The big weed first wited,
then turned black and finally fell upon the earth.
With not enough moisture in the ground to feed
thistle the condition of and the tender
grass in the meadow may be ina gined. In
Southern Wisconsin there thousands OF
acres where will yield peck to the
acre. The crop has been scorched and almost
totally destroyed. The leaves of the cereal
are yellow and brittle and droop almost to the
ground.
THE loss of the crop. serious as it is,
will not mpoverish the farmers. They have
lived in the country since the land first
titled, and have. for the most part, laid by
enough money to carry them through winter.
But there other dangers to be confronted.
Wells have run dry, and in some towns water
famine is imminent. The drinking water at
hand IS polluted and filled with poisonous
germs. Typhoid fever is becoming more preva-
lent, and dysentery and other stomach disturb
ances so common in some places as to be al
most epidemic.
Unless rain falls before many DAYS, the suf
fering will be greatly augmented. The intense
heat has been terrific strain upon man, but its
effect upon cattle has been simply appalling.
Without pasturage to browse upon or pools IN
which to stand during the hot hours OF the day
the poor beasts have become emaciated to
be wholly unm arketable The farmers in the
dairy districts have in some instances
been compelled to feed and water their
COWS from their own larders. In
other places forest trees have been felled apd
dragged to the pastures and the cattle turned
loose to browse upon the leaves. Hundreds of
cows are being killed and shipped to market for
a mere pittance At Winslow ILL.,. farmer
bought ten head of cattle last January at $50
head. When be offered to sell the entire
herd last week for 800. he could not find pur-
chaser Farmers in this district have already
turned the cattle loose to feed upon the crops.
s'Added to all the miserIes attending the great
drought is the constant fear of fires. The tall
grass of the prairies is dead the fields ready
burst into flame and leaves lie in heaps in
the forests. A spark starts fire, and the bis
terine Sahara-like wind fans the flame into a
conhagration. Already the land encompassed
by the boundaries has been blackened by wild
fires In sone towns the people are often called
three four times day to fight the flames.
Destructive fires have been raging for many
days in Kenosha and Walworth counties in Wis
consin. Thousands of acres have been swept
By. the flames. and the loss to farmers in hay,
grain. fencing and buildings is very great
Above Madison the boys are burning hercey and
the pungent smoke hangs the country for |
miles around. Should the drought remain I'M
broken much longer, incalcuiable ruin Will be
49, ~ex Er.u yx-h,o in
expected places and In the most mysterious man
in some parts of the district the drought is
so terrible that butternuts and wanuts have
fallen from the trees. Potatoes, when taken
from tn cir beds of ashes, look like craoapples |
They are wrlnkled and spongy and unfit for
food. There is also a great scarcity of milk. |
owing to the inability OF cows to fina nutritious
food"
In summing up a detailed report OF the |
drought the Northwest, afternoon paper |
SAYS: The first intimation of severe drought |
came from the State of Michigan In part of |
that State. however. did the complaint come |
county. Farmers and villagers reported that |
their vegetables were suffering, but ten |
Of abundant rains About three weeks
ago serious damage reported from |
certain sections in Michigan, and in some coun- |
ties potatoes were declared 70 be complete fall |
a crop Next came reports of distress In |
Indiana. then from Wisconsin, and at the pres |
ent time there is scarcely county between the I
lakes and the Mississippi in which rain Is not |
prayed for Here is extract from letter |
written last week by as good gardener there |
is in the State of Michigan He writes |
from Hillsdale county, as follows Ever since |
June Is. the only water which my garden has
known has been that which have carried /
from the we'll We now have Indications that
the well is drying up, and the garden ia burning
up though scorchad by fire." The most re-
cent intelligence which can be obtained here
shows that what is true of garden truck in
Michigan applies to every state in the North
west, while the damage which the drought has
done to corn and the finer fruits hardly be
over estimated